WELCOME to "MY HORSE FOR A DAY"!

Welcome to "My Horse For A Day" (MHFAD), where children with special challenges have a chance to form a personal connection with a wonderful horse of their own choosing! 

The volunteers at MHFAD believe that horses have a special magic for children, a quality that enables these beautiful, majestic creatures to bring joy and wonder to all who love them -- even when things might otherwise be sad or difficult. It is our hope that by "giving" a horse-crazy child a horse of their very own -- even if it's just for a day, even it's done through the internet -- we might actually provide that child with an experience and a memory they can hold dear for much, much longer.

The way it works is this: The child looks through the profiles of the horses in our "stable" (please see next post below this one), and chooses which one they would like to have as "their horse" for a day. The child or their caretaker writes to us, telling us about the child's situation and why they are choosing that particular horse. 

We will then make a video for the child showcasing the horse the child has chosen. We might be training the horse to do something that day, or perhaps just performing regular grooming or maintenance. We will be sure to talk to the child and mention their name during the video so that they know it was made just for them. Throughout the video, we will refer to the horse as that child's horse.  

If the horse is one that is trained to do special tricks, the child may ask to see the horse perform those tricks for them. Or, if the child would like to see the horse being groomed, moving at liberty, jumping etc., we will do our best to accommodate those requests. We will list what each horse is able to do in that horse's profile, and we will try to keep that updated. Please keep in mind that weather or other factors may preclude us being able to do certain things on any given day.

Once the video is made, we will post it on YouTube for the child to see. The child will know that the video was made especially for them on that day. The child will also be emailed a dated certificate with a picture of their horse on it, some information about the horse, and their own name in the "Owner" spot. And, while our organization is called "My Horse For A Day", there will be a statement at the bottom letting the child know that their horse's heart will be with them always, and their horse's love is something they can keep forever. In that way, the horse will always be theirs. If they wish, they can receive special invitations via email to watch any other general training and care videos of their horse that are posted in the future.

If the child has a special "dream horse" (e.g. a Lippizan stallion, a reining horse, a palomino Quarter Horse) of a type or discipline that we don't have in our stable, let us know and we will TRY to find such a horse and invite its owner to join our program. Because we can't guarantee that we will be able to find a specific horse, we suggest the child also choose an "alternate" from the MHFAD stable.

TO REQUEST A "HORSE FOR A DAY" FOR A CHILD, please send an email to 

myhorseforaday@gmail.com with the following information:

1. The child's name, age and location.
2. The special challenge the child is facing (medical, financial, emotional).
3. Which horse the child would like to have as "their horse", and why they've chosen that horse. If the child would like us to try to find a horse that is not currently in our program, please give us the details.
4. What the child would most like to see the horse do in the video, if possible.
5. An email address where we can acknowledge receipt of your request and send follow up links and information. We will never share your email address with anyone.
6. Any other information you feel we should have.

Once we have received your request, we will get back to you as soon as possible and let you know when to expect the video for your child. Thank you for giving us the chance to share our love of horses, and our horses' love, with a deserving child.

HORSE OWNERS: If you have a horse that you would like to share with special children via MHFAD, please contact us at: myhorseforaday@gmail.com.

OUR STABLE -- COME ON IN AND MEET YOUR HORSE!

Hello, and welcome to our stable!

All the horses here at "My Horse For A Day" would like to extend their soft, velvety muzzles in a friendly nicker of greeting to you. You are welcome to look at them all and read about them to see if one of them might be your perfect horse for a day! Enjoy your search through our very special herd of horses (and one donkey)!


1: GRYPHON
Breed: Morgan 
Gender: gelding
Color: black
Markings: white star on his forehead
Height: 15.2 hands
Born: 1996

More about Gryphon: When people meet Gryphon, they often say he reminds them of "Black Beauty", because he is all black with a white star on his forehead -- and of course he is a beauty! Gryphon used to be a jumper and a dressage horse, but he is now mostly retired from riding. He knows many tricks, including: smile, give a kiss, bow, cross his front legs, strike with a front leg, listen to a secret, pick up something and give it to you, yawn, and his own special invention -- "cookie face"! Gryphon is very good at liberty work, which is where the horse does things the person asks him to while the horse is loose with no tack or lead line on.  Gryphon has appeared in various magazines, including EQUUS and Western Horse Review. While Gryphon loves treats like apples, candy and carrots, he has a medical condition similar to diabetes in humans, so he is on a special diet. Instead of sweet treats, he enjoys nuts, alfalfa pellets and sometimes a few berries. He also loves a good scratch on the neck or rear end! His best friend is a little donkey named Rogie.





2: ROGIE (rhymes with Yogi)
Breed: Miniature Donkey (Mediterranean Donkey) 
Gender: gelding
Color: brown
Markings: white belly, dark shoulder cross
Height: short!
Born: 2010

More about Rogie: Rogie is a miniature donkey, also known as a Mediterranean donkey. Rogie is extremely cute, super smart, very funny and totally bratty! He likes to have everything HIS way, all the time. He loves hugs and ear rubs and treats of all kinds. His favorite thing to do is to play with Gryphon, the black Morgan who is his best friend. He will even stand up on his hind legs and pull on Gryphon's long mane! Rogie also enjoys showing off in his flashy zebra-print blanket. Rogie was named after the famous hockey player, Rogie Vachon, who was also very small, but was great nonetheless. This wee donkey doesn't let being little stop him from telling everyone what to do, or getting right in there to play with the big boys! 


3: TWISTER
Breed: Welsh Pony cross
Gender: mare
Color: black and white pinto
Markings: four white legs; connected star, stripe and snip; some white on body
Height: 13 hands
Born: 2006

Twister is a beautiful young pony mare who tries very hard to be a good girl. She likes to come up to you and rest her chin on your shoulder, and sometimes, she will play with your hair. She likes it if you brush and play with her mane, too! Twister is sometimes afraid of things she doesn't understand, especially if she's out on the trail with no other horses, but she still tries to listen to her rider. She will even cross the big creek now, which she was afraid to do before! Twister has never had a baby, but she lives with Rogie, a miniature donkey, whom she thinks of as her adopted baby. She always shares her food with Rogie, and they share the same shelter when it is raining. Twister is very kind and loving to her funny looking, long-eared "foal", and she tries to protect him if she thinks he might get run over when the other horses are running around the paddock. Twister's favorite color is purple, like her pretty purple halter.